1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for laser microsurgery, and more particularly relates to a system of microlaser surgery having improved audio-visual support and improved configuration over prior systems and designs.
2. General Background
Laser surgery incorporates the use of a laser and usually a microscope. These devices can be combined into a single unit having a laser microscope "head" which is manipulated by the surgeon. The surgeon uses a micro-manipulator that moves a mirror so as to deflect the laser beam in a desired position upon an operative field. The surgeon views the operative field through a microscope having a pair of spaced apart oculars or a "binocular".
Laser surgery necessarily requires an expanse of equipment and components which can clutter the operating room floor. Not only must the laser itself be supported by a stand having multiple linkage members, but the laser additionally requires a large number of component parts which support and produce the energy for generating the laser beam.
Because the surgeon views the operation through the oculars of the microscope, the magnified image is not always available for viewing by his assistant. This creates a basic problem of communication and logistics between the surgeon and his various operating room technicians. For example, the surgeon must request instruments and thus be delayed for several minutes during an operation. The nurse must prepare various instruments, sutures, and other such operating room equipment which would be normally prepared by the surgical nurse in anticipation of the doctor's requests. In normal operating procedures, the operating room nurse can view the operative field with her normal vision. He or she can quickly anticipate the next instrument or next instruction of the doctor and have it ready. With experienced surgical technicians, these supportive steps are usually done without need of the surgeons' verbal request.
A problem exists in laser microsurgery in that the operating room nurse cannot always anticipate the surgeon's requests because she is unable to see exactly what the surgeon is doing.
Another problem with laser microsurgical procedures is the maintaining of accurate records of the operation for future use. Many laser surgical operative procedures can require additional surgeries at future dates or future supplemental procedures. If a surgeon had a record of each and every step of such a procedure, a subsequent operations would have a high degree of success because of the surgeon's increased education and awareness of his patient by viewing the past record of the operation. Such records could function as a valuable teaching aid. The following list includes several devices that have been patented relating to microsurgical laser systems.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Title Patentee ______________________________________ 3,750,670 "Laser Cauterizer" Palanos 3,769,963 "Instrument for Performing Laser Goldman Microsurgery and Diagnostic Transalumination of Living Human Tissue" 3,783,874 "Method and Apparatus for Koester Effecting Photo Coagulation" 3,796,220 "Stero Laser Endoscope" Bredemeier 3,910,276 "Microsurgical Laser System" Polanyi, et al. 3,348,547 "Photocoagulating Apparatus" Kavanaugh, et al. 3,417,754 "Ophthalmoscopes" Smat 3,659,613 "Laser Accessory for Surgical Bredemeier Application" 3,703,176 "Slit Lamp Photocoagulator" Vassiliadis 3,642,007 "Continuous Wave Laser Roberts, et al. Surgical Device" ______________________________________